CRESTED BUTTE, CO
Physical Exertion: Advanced / Technical Ability: Intermediate+
Trip Category: High Country Epics
What to expect in Crested Butte: Long rides, BIG climbs with long descents, and beautiful high alpine singletrack
Crested Butte is truly a mecca of mountain biking, and according to some it’s where it all began. Dating back to the 1970’s, the town of Crested Butte has been at the forefront of the sport, and today it’s at the top of everyone’s bucket list. With hundreds of miles of trails, almost all accessible from town, there’s enough here to keep even the most avid mountain biker busy for weeks. Some of the more famous trails are the 401 Trail, Doctor Park, Teocalli Ridge, and Strand Hill.
Crested Butte has two things going for it that make it so unique: first is the town itself. One of the last true remaining “locals” towns in Colorado, Crested Butte exudes character and personality from the moment you pull up to the 4-way stop. There are no traffic lights and you’ll typically see more bikes in town than cars. Secondly, Crested Butte sits at the intersection of several mountain valleys, which allows you to link trails together very easily. By doing this, you can do a simple 10-mile ride from downtown, or you can link together multiple trails to create an all-day 30 mile epic ride. With Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently upping their investment in the lift-served trails on Mt. Crested Butte, this area truly has it all.
By partnering with Colorado Backcountry guides, we’re able to put together amazing itineraries that will have you licking your lips for more. But beware, the climbs in Crested Butte are for real!
Airport Options: Gunnison (35 min) – Denver (4 hrs)
“Steve is always thinking about how to improve that customer experience and cater it to the things that will put a smile on your face. I couldn’t be happier or more satisfied quite frankly with my Fall trip to Crested Butte, it was truly outstanding. From the hotel, to the guide, to the trail selection and little extras that made it all such an epic experience. I couldn’t recommend this company more, go big go Epic.”
INTERACTIVE CRESTED BUTTE TRAIL MAP
WHAT TO EXPECT
Day One: On the first day of our trip, plan to meet at our designated lodging around 5-6pm that evening. We’ll do a quick introduction, followed by bike setups, a welcome dinner and drinks. The first night is meant to be social and relaxing, as we’re getting ready for four big days on the bike!
Day Two: EPIC ALERT! Today’s ride will push you beyond your limits, but we promise you’ll thank us afterwards. Be sure to fuel up with a BIG breakfast that will give you plenty of energy to keep riding beyond what you thought possible. You’re going to need it.
Today’s ride is a Chasing Epic original, combining some of the best trails in the world like no one else can. We’ll hit some of the best Cement Creek-area trails for a “warmup” in the morning for around 10-12 miles. Once we hit the bottom of the second big descent, we’ll grab lunch and then begin the second half of our day on Doctor Park: one of the best trails you’ll ever ride, promise. All told today we’ll knock off about 25 miles with just under 3000 feet of climbing, but almost 6,000 descending thanks to a morning shuttle!
Day Three: Today’s ride is going to be BIG, so make sure you put in the miles leading up to your trip. We’ll head just south of town to the Cement Creek trails for one of our newer (and favorite) loops including Farris Creek, Point Lookout, and the new Middle Cement trails. You’ll get some longer, grunty climbs mixed in with some absolutely amazing singletrack… we can’t wait to show off this route!
Day Four: Another combo ride here, and this one’s been in the Chasing Epic arsenal for years… Teocalli and Strand Hill. Combining these two incredible trails gives us one big climb, one epic descent, one smaller climb, and another epic descent. In the fall, you can expect perfect dirt, golden aspens, and incredible riding on both trails. All told, expect about 20 miles and 3400′ of climbing today.
Day Five: We always like to finish up our trips on a high-note, so today we’re putting together our “804” ride, which combines the world-famous 403 and 401 trails. We’ll start off with a shuttle up to the 403 trailhead, followed by a short (but steep) mile-long climb before we hit the goods down 403. Once we hit the bottom, it’s a steady climb to Schofield Pass and beyond, to the top of 401. Once we reach the top of 401, you’ve got 5+ miles of sweet, flowy singletrack all the way down to the vehicles. Today’s ride is about 14 miles and 2,000 vertical.